Circumstance
by Courtiepop68
Summary: Hawke meets Sebastian Vael at a young age. She tries hard not to give into the temptation of falling for the notorious wild prince. However,it proves to be quite the task when he refuses to leave her alone, spite all of her free given warnings.


Hawke was standing there in her tattered tunic and trousers, shaking from the cold. Her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly. Her little fists clinched up in defiance. No matter how her body screamed for her to find warmth, she wasn't moving from this spot. She had one job. Keep look out, and if anyone came by she had to warn the people inside. Simple enough. She sneezed loudly drawing out a line of snot out of her nose. She wiped it away quickly, which broke her concentration from the task at had.

"Marian? For makers sake child, what are you doing out here? We've been looking at you for nearly an hour!" Hawke jumped blinking through tears brought on by the cold wind and saw her father there before her. A worried looked was on his face. Her mother was close behind him, Carver was strapped to her back snoring softly and she was holding Bethany on her hip. Marian looked away from their gaze and felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. She brushed some wet dirty off of her cheeks.

"I got a job...I heard you talking last night. I wanted to help." she said simply.

Her mother and father exchanged worried looks. For being only 9 years old, Marian was very perceptive and intelligent. She was able to tell what people were saying even if the words they were saying were lies. They had been putting on a front for the children about how dire things were beginning to look. Hearing her parents argument last night must have put all the pieces together for her in her tiny mind. Which sparked the excessive will to help she possesses. It's something Leandra and Malcolm knew would lead her in trouble one day.

"A job?" her mother asked in bewilderment.

"It's really easy mama! I stand here, and if anyone comes I go tell Marco and the other smugglers!" She pointed a thumb towards the abandoned house behind her.

"Smugglers! Maker, has this been the place you've been sneaking off to Marian?" her mother asked insistently. Marian nodded shyly. Her father then pushed past her to the house rolling up the sleeves on his robe. Marian stumbled after him her tiny frame sore and stiff from the cold. She wrapped her tiny hands around a part of his robe. She dug her heels into the ground and frantically pulled him back towards her. "No papa! You can't, I won't get paid if you go back there!"

He paused looking down upon her small form. "Please!" she insisted.

His face softened as he looked at her. He kneeled down to her level and wiped away some tears that had fallen from her brown eyes. "Oh little one, as brave and as thoughtful you are" he wrapped her protectively under his arm, kissing the top of her forehead. "It is my job to provide for you all. One day, when I am gone, it will be your turn to provide for our family as I have. But not a day sooner." Marian looked at him with her gaze full of admiration for her father. He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. "Alright?"

"Yes Papa." she replied quietly.

"Now go with your mother child, I have a few choice words for Marco." he replied darkly entering the house and down into the cellar where the smugglers waited.

Marian watched him go until she could no longer see him and sighed sadly. She thought she was doing something good for her family, but it seems she failed. She felt something warm wrap around her shoulders and turned to see Bethany smiling at her. "You forgot your coat sissy" she cooed. Marian smiled back at her and pulled her arms through her jacket. "Thanks Beth."

"Come girls, we're headed to eat and we'll be on the road by this afternoon." her Mother ushered the two girls around her skirt and they began to walk down towards the main road of Amaranthine.

Marian glanced back towards the abandoned shack nervously. "Mother..."

"You're father will be fine Marian, he will catch up up to us."

"Yeah, Marian. Don't go crying for him again like a baby." Carver sneered making everyone aware that his nap was over now.

"Carver!" Leandra said in a scolding tone.

"Sorry mother" he muttered under his breath.

"Don't worry, he is a big baby his self...never leaving mother's side and whatnot." Bethany said matter of factly, earning a stuck out tongue from Carver and a giggle from Marian.

They walked in silence up the rest of the way to the main road where a crowd had formed. Marian noticed a few guards were blocking people from walking in the main street leading into the city.

"Excuse me sir," her mother called to one of the guards "why are we not able to pass?"

"The royalty of Starkhaven is rolling through out beautiful town here. So naturally everyone is required to stop their lives to ogle them...the bloody nug humpers." he whispered the last part to himself a little too loudly. Which made Bethany and Marian giggle amongst themselves.

"Girls." Leandra cooed a warning tone to them.

"Sorry Mama" Marian said between a snicker.

"Oh mama! Does that mean we will see a prince and princess? Oh how I would love to see them." Bethany smiled. Her mother picked her up onto her hip so she was able to see above the crowd more clearly. Carver leaned up on Leandra's shoulder to get a better view for himself.

"See there Bethany, that is the royal guard - and those are.. " her mothers voice faded into the crowds uproar.

"Hey, I want to see them too!" Marian whined. She struggled to look between the adult legs as the horses began to cross into the street but that's all she could see. She crossed her arms in a pout giving up all hope, when her body became weightless and she was hoisted onto a mans broad shoulders. She looked down to see her fathers dark auburn hair.

"Up you go little Hawke." She laughed freely, grabbing onto his hair lightly to maintain her balance. She noticed his knuckles were red as he held onto her thin legs. She ran the pads of her fingers over the area briefly before he retracted his hands to glove them from the cold and replaced them where he held her before. Her father must have fought with those men from the house...guilt rattled her tiny mind knowing he could have gotten hurt from her actions. She had to make things better.

"Papa, I -"

"Look ate the carriages Marian. That is where the royals ride. See there's the king and queen...and their children." her father said quickly trying to changed the subject she tried to bring up.

Marian looked at the lavished carriage with the strong white horses pulling it. She scanned the finery the king and queen wore. The rich gold and jewels worn on their necks or laced into their clothes. Their children were not in tattered clothes their mother had to sow constantly, but were in handsome suits riding their own horses. She thought the whole thing was beautiful and it made her sick at the same time.

"Oi, there's nothing special about them" Carver growled resting his head back onto Leandra's back.

Marian glanced at him briefly, carefully examining his words in her mind. Her brother was right for once, what made these people any different from her own family? She imagined her mother and Carver riding in the carriage, and her father riding his own horse with Bethany tucked away in front of him. Marian would be old enough for her own horse. Her rags replaced with an elegant dress, her long dark hair flowing down her back. Now there would be a sight to see.

"Papa" she said softly resting her head on her arms, "One day, I will be royalty then we all can wear nice clothes and have people stare at us."

Her father squeezed her little legs. "You can do anything you put your mind too little Hawke."

Marian stared dreamily at the royal court before her. An older gentleman was riding a ways behind everyone with another young boy. Unlike the other royalty that had passed earlier the older gentleman was smiling and waving to the crowd. He seemed like a kind man. The boy on the other hand seemed bored. His blue eyes scanning the crowd lazily. He then caught Marian's stare. They both perked up when they saw one another. She could tell he was quiet older than her by far, and it was quite like something from the fade drawing their gazes to one could feel her cheeks grown warm.

"Marian a princess?" Carver began hooping and hollering with laughter, which brought her crashing back into reality.

"Oh Carver you obnoxious pig bullocks!" Marian yelled trying to wop him with anything she could reach him with.

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is an idea I had for a fic in which Marian meets Sebastian when he is in his troubled youth stage and they both fall in love...and they eventually they meet back up again in Kirkwall years later. <strong>_


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